Gilles' Golden Rooster

Gilles Diglé, Vaison la Romaine's butcher and very popular caterer was awarded the "Coq d'Or" (Golden Rooster) by the French Guide Gourmand. Gilles received this honour, which in France is taken very seriously for his delicious olive sausage called Pontias. If ever you come to Vaison go and taste it, it is worth it!
And if you want to celebrate a big party you can't do better than to ask Gilles to prepare his famous Paëlla.

Gilles prepares his famous Paëlla

A feast not only for the eyes - Gilles' Paëlla

Wine Harvest in Villedieu

Arriving at the Wine Cooperative "Caveau des Templiers" in Villedieu today the first thing I noticed was the smell - sweet and almost intoxicating. The wine harvest has begun! A steady queue of agricultural pickups were waiting to unload the Côte du Rhone grapes that had been picked this afternoon and there were lots of happy faces. After a hot summer and just the right amount of rain the 2010 wine promises to be a real good vintage! I will keep you posted on the results!

Unloading the grapes

The grapes are weighed....

.... then crushed

Lost in St. Maxime

Look what I found in St. Maxime yesterday - Santa got lost on the Côte d'Azur! Or how else would you explain this "petit bonhomme" guarding the beautiful fruit display? I have seen a lot of early Christmas decorations but this is sort of ridiculous don't you think so, too?

Three Barbaras in one Kitchen

Today we were three Barbaras in my kitchen! These two lovely ladies from California are spending their vacation exploring Provence. Of course this also includes exploring the food and wines of Provence and this is how they came to visit Cuisine de Provence. It seems all Barbaras share some characteristics - we all like to talk and laugh a lot and we love to eat! We had a great time preparing all those Provençal recipes - thank you Barbara and Barbara (also for the Californian dates you brought - they are delicious)!

If you're going to Avignon...

...anytime soon, whatever you do, don't miss the wonderful exhibition of the Spanish (or, to be precise, Catalan) artist Miquel Barcelo at the Collection Lambert, the only museum of contemporary art in Provence worth a visit. Although one could image that this fantastic and much photographed sculpture right in front of the Pope's Palace would lead the crowds into the exhibition, yesterday and from what I hear most days Barcelo's paintings and sculptures can be enjoyed without any queuing at all.

Having fun in front of the Pope's Palace

Barcelo's Elephant

The show is still on until november 7th and right now there are big discussions going on in Avignon whether to keep the elephant or not. Just in case anyone is interested: my vote goes towards keeping him - seems he makes everyone smile and that can only be a good thing, right?

Collection Lambert, 5 Rue Violette, 84000 Avignon, Tuesday to Sunday 11am to 6 pm

Garlic Festival in Piolenc

The Garlic Festival in Piolenc is one of the nicest food festivals in Provence. A true village affair it centers around a beautiful market and starts with a mass that is held in the Provençal dialect. Then the Confrerie de l'Ail (loosely translated: the Club of the Garlic Brothers) leads a procession of carnival floats through the village. Today even Christian Etienne  a very well known French chef came to Piolenc and held a cooking demonstration. If you are in Avignon and feel really flush go to his restaurant right next to the Pope's Palace. But do have a look at the prices first!  And since pictures talk more than a thousand words, have a look at the ones I took this morning.

One of the carnival floats

Obélix was there, too 

Marinated Garlic

Garlic made pretty

Nice Price - 3 Euros per Kilo

Flavors of Provence

Cooks with Garlic: Chef Christian Etienne

Cheery little Cherry Crunchies

Aren't they pretty? Caramelized Cherry Tomatoes

I classify my culinary friends into "sharers" and "keepers" - of recipes that is. While I (and most of my friends) think it to be the ultimate compliment to be asked for a recipe there are those (like the lady whose Coronation Chicken I admired some time ago) that just say "no", even when asked nicely. Well, my friend Myriam is a sharer and so I'll happily share her Caramelized Cherry Tomatoes with you, too.

You'll need soft brown sugar which in France is called "Cassonade" that you
melt on very low heat in a small saucepan until it turns into a light brown caramel.
Put small cherry tomatoes on toothpicks and dip them into the caramel. Then quickly dip just the bottom of the caramelized cherry tomatoes into some poppy seeds - place well spaced apart onto a dish and let cool. (If you don't leave room between the cherries they glue together into one delicious, but rather unlovely mess!)

These Caramelized Cherry Tomatoes are lovely served as nibbles with drinks, they are not only deliciously crunchy, but oh so pretty!

Cassonade

Melt the brown sugar

into caramel

dip tomatoes on toothpicks first into the caramel

then into the poppy seeds

eh voilà - beautiful and crunchy!